Measuring valve



,April 24, 1951 E. w. DAvls 2,550,535

MEASURING VALVE Original Filed Aug. 26, 1942 Patented Apr. 24, 1951UNITED STA-Tes carismi* ortica MEASURING VALVE Ernest W. Davis,l RiverForest, Ill., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., aVcorporation of Virginia Originalv application August 26, 1942, SerialNo.456,281. Divided and this application October 6, 1945, Serial No.620,761

My invention relates to measuring valves and more particularly tomeasuring valves for centralized lubricating systems.

In centralized lubricating systems, lubricant from a central source suchas a lubricant compresser is forced through a piping system havingbranches arranged in parallel and connected to the various bearings `tobe supplied with lubricant from the central source. The differentbearings may have the same or diierent lubrication requirements and itis common to provide the branches of the lubricating system withmeasuring valves or other metering means for insuring the supply of justthe proper amount of lubricant to each bearing.

My invention relates to measuringvalves intended to be used in such alubricating ,system and an object of my invention is to provide a newand improved measuring valve which will accurately meter a predeterminedquantity of lubri- Other objects and advantages of my invention' willbecome apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a measuring valveembodying one form of my invention and illustrating this measuring valveas being connected to a bearing and to the piping o-f a centralizedlubricating system;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the parts of themeasuring valve in diierent positions;

Fig. 3 is a partial vlew similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in athird position, and

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal view of a modiiied form of measuringvalve.

, This application is one of two divisional applin cations based on myparent application Serial No. 456,281, filed August 26, 1942, and nowabandoned. Said parent application and the other divisional applicationSerial No. 626,339, filed October/i, 1945, sho-w measuring valves which4 Claims. (Cl. 184-7) 2 are particularly adapted for but not limited touse in lubricating system having accumulators in the pipe lines. In someinstances where the accumulators are omitted, the pistons `of themeasuring valve of such other applications move upwardly a slightdistance when a subsequent measuring valve initiates its operation andreduces the line pressure, serving to cause lubricant to pass downwardlythrough the bypass for the measuring valve piston so as to increaseslightly the amount of lubricant underneath the. piston. When underthese circumstances a subsequent measuring Valve completes its operationand the maximum line pressure is again established, the piston of thefirst measuring valves moves downwardly again to lowermost position, butthis return movement is accompanied byv the discharge of a very smalladditional quantity of lubricant to the bearing. Under thesecircumstances, this additional supply of lubricant is objectionable, andin this application I have shown forms'oi measuring valves whichovercome this objection.

In the measuring valve of Figs. l, 2, and 3, the valve body |38 has aninlet |32 adapted to be connected to the pipe line represented by pipes|34 and |36 and connecting passage |38. The inlet |32 has a valve seat|42 of small diameter and this seat is normally engaged by a taperedvalve |42.

The body |35 has a cylindrical bore IM adapted to communicate with theinlet |32. A piston indicated generally by reference numeral |46 islocated in the cylindrical bore Hill. This piston includes a pair oitubular members |48 and |5i) threadedly secured together and clamping ahead |52 and depending sleeve I5!! therebetween.

The piston |46 includes pressure relief means comprising a cylindricalvmember |56 slidable in the head |52 and having a tapered surface |58adapted to engage the annular edge |69 to form a lubricant tight sealbetween the member |56 and the hea-cl |52. The valve M2 is looselymounted in the upper end oi the 'member |56 and the lower end of thismember has a reduced end |62 which forms a rivet for securing to themember |5E washers IBB and |625.

A spring |68 is conned between the washer |54 and the irl-turned endl'ii) of the depending tube |521 and urges the pressure relief memberupwardly as viewed in Fig. l. The spring |58. however, is of lesserstrength than the spring ill which urges the piston Uit upwardly andholds the valve |42 in sealing engagement with the seat Ill as shown inFig. l.

The lower end of Vthe body |30 is closed by a cap |74 which is threadedthereto as indicated at |76 and a sealing gasket |78 is clamped betweenthe cap and adjacent end of the body |30. A sealing washer 80 is urgedagainst the cap |74 by spring |72 and this sealing washer |30 carries atubular guide |82 which serves to position the lower end of the spring|72.

The cap i74 is provided with a threaded nipple |84 adapted to be screwedto a bearing |86. A passage |88 connects the interior of the body |30with the bearing surfaces and a ball check valve |90 normally closesthis passage. The check valve spring |92 is relatively weak so that thecheck valve |96 oiers only slight resistance to the flow of lubricant tothe bearing |86.

When the lubricant pressure in the pipe line increases sufficiently tomove valve |42 away from seat M0, the entire upper end' of the piston|46 is exposed to the line pressure and this piston and its associatedparts move downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. During thisdownward movement of the piston, the lubricant beneath the piston isdischarged past check valve |90 to the bearing |88. When the pistonreaches the downward limit of its stroke, the lower end of the pistonengages the sealing washer |80 and forms a seal therewith which preventsa ilow of lubricant to the bearing through piston bypass |94.

When a succeeding measuring valve initiates its operation, there is animmediate drop in the line pressure and in the pressure of the lubricantimmediately above the piston of the first measuring valve which is thenin the position show-n in Fig. 2. The lubricant between the piston ofthis first valve and the check valve |90 may still bev under highpressure. Grease and similar lubricants are slightly compressible andthe reduction in pressure above the piston of the first measuring valvepermits the grease located beneath this piston to expand.

In the embodiment of Fig. l, this expansion of grease beneath the piston|40 urges relief member |56 upwardly from the position shown in Fig. 2to the position shown in Fig. 3 and such upward movement of the reliefmember |56 is sufficient to equalize the lubricant pressure on oppositesides of the piston |46 and thus overcome any tendency of the lubricanttherebeneath to raise this piston from its sealing engagement withwasher |80. This equalization of pressure is eifected without any changein the amount of the lubricant underneath the piston, since there isnothing to oppose the upward movement of the relief member |56 quickly,whereas an upward movement of the piston |46 would be slow by reason ofthe necessity for lubricant to pass through the bypass |94. When thesucceeding measuring valve completes its operation and the line pressureagain increases, the pressure relief member returns to the positionshown in Fig. 2 but this return of the pressure relief member |56 merelyincreases the pressure of the lubricant beneath the piston to itsprevious maximum and is not accompanied by the discharge of additionallubricant to the bearing |86.

In the modification of Fig. 4, the pressure relief member |55A whichcorresponds to the member |58 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, is provided with ahelical groove 200. When the relief member |56A is in its lower positionrelative to piston head |52, the upper end of the passage provided byhelical groove 200 is closed since the surface |58A of the member IESAforms a seal with the annular edge |80- of the piston head. However,when the member |58A moves upwardly relative to this piston head to aposition like that shown in Fig. 3, the upper end of the helical groove208 is in open communication with the space above the piston, andlubricant below the piston can ilow upwardly through the helical grooveand thus equalize the pressure on opposite sides of this piston.

In other words, in the embodiment of Fig. 3, the equalization ofpressure is effected by the displacement resulting from movement of thepressure relief member |56. In Fig. 4, the displacement of the reliefmember |56A only partially equalizes the lubricant pressure on the0pposite sides of the piston and complete equalization is effected byflow through the groove 200. The reduction in line pressure due tooperation of a subsequent valve is of an exceedingly short duration andthe normal line pressure is resumed before spring |72 could initiatereturn of the measuring valve piston.

After all of the measuring valves have completed their operative strokesand the line pressure is relieved, the measuring valve pistons willreturn to the positions shown in Fig. 4. During this return movement,lubricant can bypass the piston by way of helical groove 200 as well asbypass |94 since the spring |68A is given such strength thatl the reliefmember IESA will be in the raised position during this return movementof the piston. The lower end of head |52 is grooved as indicated at 202so that engagement of washer with the lower end of this head will notclose helical passage 200.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to theparticular details shown and disclosed, but may assume numerous otherforms not specifically illustrated or described herein. The scope of myinvention is defined by the following claims. v

I claim:

l. A measuring valve of the class described, comprising a body having alubricant inlet provided with a valve seat and a cylinder communieatingwith said inlet, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a valvemeans carried by said piston for co-acting with said seat, a spring forurging said piston and valve means toward Said seat, by pass means forsaid piston, conduit means for connecting said cylinder with a bearingsurface, a check valve in said conduit means for preventing return flowtherethrough, a pressure relief member reciprocable in said piston, saidmember having a portion movably extending into the hollow portion ofsaid piston whereby reciprocation of said member varies the capacity ofthe hollow portion of said member and thereby relieves pressure oflubricant in said piston and a spring interposed between said piston andsaid pressure. relief member for moving the latter relative to saidpiston, said by-pass means being separate and distinct from saidpressure relief member.

2. In a measuring valve of the class described, the combination of abody having a lubricant inlet provided with a valve seat and a cylindercommunicating with said inlet, a hollow piston reciprocable in saidcylinder, a valve for said seat, a spring for urging said piston andvalve toward said seat, a pressure relief member reciprocable in saidpiston and having a part extending into the hollow portion of saidpiston whereby movement of said member varies the capacity of saidhollow part of the piston and thereby relieves lubricant pressuretherein, said member having a cylindrical part provided with a helicalgroove, said member also having valve means co-acting with said pistonto prevent flow of lubricant through said groove in one position of saidmember, a spring interposed between said member and piston, and by-passmeans for said piston separate and distinct from said pressure reliefmember, and a valved conduit for connecting said body with a bearingsurface.

3. In a measuring valve of the class described, the combination of abody having a lubricant inlet provided with a valve openable under apredetermined lubricant pressure, a cylinder communicating with saidinlet, a hollow piston reciprocable in said cylinder under a lubricantpressure less than said predetermined pressure, a spring for urging saidpiston toward said seat, a pressure relief member reciprocable in saidpiston, said member having a part provided with a groove and valve meansco-acting with said piston to rprevent ow of lubricant through saidgroove in one position of said member, a spring interposed between saidmember and piston, said member having a portion extending into thehollow part of said piston whereby movement of said member Varies thelubricant capacity of said piston and thereby relieves lubricantpressure therein, by-pass means for said piston separate and distinctfrom said pressure relief member, and a conduit for connecting said bodywith a bearing surface.

the lubricant capacity of said skirt and relieves l lubricant pressuretherein, and a spring interposed between said piston and said pressurerelief member for moving the latter relative to said piston, saidby-pass means being separate and distinct 'from said pressure reliefmember.

ERNEST W. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,652,764 Cowles Dec. 13, 19271,926,158 Macomber Sept. 12, 1933

